Ukrainian Unity Day: How Unity Becomes Action — and Why Social Entrepreneurship Is Directly Connected to It
On January 22, we talk about Unity — about togetherness and a country without internal borders. But if we set history textbooks aside and look around, a simple question arises: what does unity look like today, in the real life of communities?
The Story of One Idea
A few years ago, a team from a small community reached out to the Platform for Social Change. War, lost jobs, young people leaving, exhausted residents — this was their reality.
They didn’t have a big budget or “ideal conditions.” What they did have was a clear understanding of the problem and the determination to act. They wanted to create a social enterprise — a small initiative that would provide jobs for local people and address a concrete social need. Through learning, support, and partnerships with other communities, the idea began to take shape.
Over time, others joined the process:
- a local school;
- businesses;
- active community members;
- partners from other regions of Ukraine.
This is how living unity was born — not in words, but in action.
Unity Is Not Only About Territories
Historically, Unity Day symbolized the unification of Ukrainian lands. Today, however, it increasingly speaks about the unity of people, shared meaning, and responsibility.
This is exactly how social entrepreneurship works:
- it brings together different sectors — business, education, and communities;
- it blurs the line between those who “help” and those who “create”;
- it keeps resources where they are generated — within communities.
When a social enterprise from the Khmelnytskyi region inspires a team in another part of the country. When the experience of a small community becomes valuable at the national level. When cooperation replaces competition — this is what modern unity looks like.
Unity That Delivers Results
In times of war, we feel especially clearly that unity is not an abstraction. It can be measured by:
- jobs that are created;
- people who receive support;
- services that continue to operate;
- communities that refuse to give up.
That is why, for the Platform for Social Change, social entrepreneurship is not just an economic model. It is a tool of unity that turns shared values into real change.
Unity means Ukraine stands not only on symbols, but on people — people who take responsibility and act together. And every social initiative, every mission-driven enterprise, every community searching for solutions is a small but deeply meaningful step toward a strong, united Ukraine.
Happy Unity Day of Ukraine!
Together — toward change.
